poole



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. D. POOLE.

OULTIVATOR.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 18, 1896..

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. D. POOLE.

OULTIVATOR.

N0 Model.)

N0. 554,952. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

(No Model.) asheetssheet a.

s. D.'POOLE.

UULTIVATOR.

No. 554,952! Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STALEY D. POOLE, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEERE & COMPANY,OF SAME PLACE.

cu LTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,952, dated February18, 1896. Application fil d December 28, 1895. Serial No. 573,646. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, STALEY D. POOLE, acitizen of the United States,residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cultivators, but more particularly to thoseemploying disks.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means whereby the disksmay be shifted at such an angle with relation to the line of draft thatthe greater resistance offered by the disks on one side of the machineover those on the other side will cause both sets of disks to move tothe right or to the left, according to the position in which they areplaced, without the necessity of shifting the disks by main force or.shifting the frame with said disks, yet permitting the disks to readilyassume their proper positions when shifted the desired distance.

Another object is to provide means whereby the disks may be adjustedvertically on separate stems, and to so connect the stems that thosecomposing each gang may be simultaneously adjusted to different angles.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for yieldinglyholding the disks to their work and to permit both gangs of disks to beeither simultaneously raised or lowered.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and combination of the several parts, substantially ashereinafter described, and more particularly defined in the claims atthe end of the description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the inventionas applied to a double-gang cultivator. Fig. 2 is a section on the lineII II of Fig. 4,

showing in elevation the gang heads or frames and connections removedfrom the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2 on a somewhat smallerscale, showing the disks in their normal position. Fig. 4 is a similarview to Fig. 3, except that the disks are in a position to cause thesame to move to the right. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan Viewillustrating the extent to which the angle of the disks may be varied.Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one form of lifting attachment for thedisks and means whereby said disks may be readily guided by the operatorfrom the rear of the machine; and Fig. '7 is a detail front perspectiveView of the lifting attachment shown in Fig. 6, illustrating how theseat for the driver may be removably attached to the frame.

In the drawings, A A may designate the wheels, B the arched axle, and Othe tongue, all of which may be of the usual or of any preferred form.The tongue may be connected to the arched axle by the straps c c and thebraces c c, from the former of which extend rearwardly the arms 0 cprovided with hooked inner ends 0 0 adapted to pass under the loweredges and embrace the sides of said straps. These arms rest upon theaxle B, and have converging outer ends upon which is supported a seat 0,as shown in Fig. 7, so that by lifting the arms to disengage the hooks cc the seat may be readily removed from the frame.

The draft-beams D D are preferably secured to the tongue 0, so that theymay be raised, lowered, or shifted laterally on the same, and may havetheir upper ends secured to outwardly-extending arms 0 c of a yoke 0which latter is loosely supported on said tongue, or said beams may beconnected to the tongue in any other preferred manner. These beamsextend downwardly and may be rigidly secured together at their rearportions by the brace (Z, and have extending outwardly therefrom thebars d cl which carry the stirrups d (P; or said bars may have securedthereto the rearwardly-extending handles d d as shown in Fig. 6, so thatthe angle of the disks with respect to the line of draft may be changedeither by the driver While in his seat or While walking in the rear ofthe machine, as will hereinafter appear.

At E E are brackets secured to the ends of the draft-beams, to which arepivotally secured the heads or gang-heads E E, each head preferablycomprising two plates e e, which are rigidly secured together by beltsor otherwise. The plates 6 e, comprising the gangheads, areapproximately L-shaped, but I do not desire to confine myself to anyparticular form, as the same will vary according to the location of thedisks.

The upper plates of the gang-heads may have raised central portions 6 6in which are arranged rotatable studs or spindles c e forming secondpivoting-points for said heads, and these spindles may be connected byan arched bar 6 the ends of which are provided with a series ofperforations e, so that the bolt securing the bar to the spindles may bechanged to vary the distance between the gangs.

The gangs or disk-carrying heads E E have a series of castings or hollowsleeves G, journaled between the plates 6 e, in which are arranged thestems g which support the disks 9', the said stems being verticallyadjustable in the sleeves and held in the desired position by means ofthe set-screws 9 Each sleeve G is provided with an outwardly-extendingarm which is pivotally connected to a strap or bar 9 by means of thebolts y so that all the disks in each gang may be simultaneouslyadjusted or placed atany desired angle.

The strap or bar g may be retained in an adjusted position in anyapproved manner, but I preferably provide a series of apertures g in theplates 6 of the gang-heads, arranged in the arc of a circle with one ofthe sleeves as a center, and in which is placed a pin g which engages alike aperture in one of the arms of each gang. This arrangement permitsthe disks of each gang to be adjusted to the desired angle by simplyshifting the pin from one aperture to another and moving the strap orarm of one of the sleeves in position to be engaged by the pin.

For the purpose of raising the entire gang or gangs of disks I mayprovide toothed arcs II II, which are located above each gang andsecured to the arched axle B and the braces c. To these arcs are pivotedthe bell-crank levers h h, having the usual spring-catch to engage theteeth of the arcs for retaining the levers in different positions, thesaid levers each having a chain or other suitable connection h with theends of the arched bar a, so that by shifting the levers the gangs willbe raised or lowered as desired.

Instead of the lifting attachment shown in Fig. 1 I may prefer to use anattachment such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. I11 this case a shaft isjournaled in standards 7t k arranged upon the axle B or other portion ofthe frame, the standard 7: being provided with a rack at its upper endand adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed pawl operated by athumb-lever k, the latter being pivoted near the upper portion of theoperating-lever L. 011 the inner end of the shaft 7i is a crank m,secured thereto or formed integrally therewith, which is connected by alink on or otherwise to the central portion of a cross-bar m in the endsof which are pivotally or otherwise arranged apertured blocks m mthrough which the upper ends of vertically-disposed rods m m are passed.These rods are adapted to slide in the apertured blocks, and have pinsor stops on m at their upper ends to limit their downward movement andto engage the blocks or cross-bar m when said bar is raised, and attheir lower ends are provided with hooks or eyes adapted to engage thearched bar 0-, so that the gangs may be simultaneously raised when thecross-bar is lifted by the lever L. Arranged upon the rods 172 112 arethe collars m m and the spiral springs m m the latter being interposedbetween the blocks m m and said collars in order that the gangs may beyieldingly held to their work, so that ob structions may be readilypassed, either independently or in conjunction with each other. Thelever L is secured to the shaft 7.: and may have a block or projection01 thereon, which is provided with an aperture, through which is passedthe end of a slidable rod or bar it, the lower end of said bar beingpivotally secured to a stud 01 located 011 the standard It and providedwith a spring a surrounding the same and interposed between its pivotingpoint and the projection n, so that as the lever is moved in adirection to lower the disks the spring will be compressed, while anopposite movement of the lever will be assisted by the recoil of saidspring, thereby assisting the operator in lifting the ga n The operationof the machine will be readil y understood from the foregoingdescription in connection with the drawings.

It will be seen, should the disks be adjusted to the desired positionand angle, as heretofore described, and it is wished to move the diskseither to the right or to the left, that if the driver shifts thedraft-beams D D to the right, illustrated in Fig. 4, by means of thestirrups d (l or by the handles (1 d the gang of disks on this side willassume a greater angle with respect to the line of draft than the diskson the left, thereby causing the disks during the forward movement ofthe machine to move to the right on account of the resistance offered bythe disks on this side overcoming the resistance of the gang of disks onthe left. When the disks have moved sufficiently to the right, and thepressure on the stirrups or handles is released, the gangs will assumethe position shown in Fig. 13y shifting the draft-beams to the left thereverse movement of the disks will occur, thereby shifting the disks inthat direction. This arrangement permits the disks to be shifted to theright or to the left to compensate for any unevenness in the rows ofcorn or other plants without the necessity of shifting the disks by themain force of the operator or of shifting the frame together with saiddisks. At the same time the disks, through the springpressed rods m andthe connections between said rods and the operating-lever L, will beyieldingly held to their work and permitted to be simultaneously raisedor lowered.

It is obvious that I might use some of the parts with cultivator bladesor teeth instead of disks, and that the number of disks or blades ineach head E may be varied, or the operating-lever L may have an angularend and be connected directly to the cross-bar m Instead of using theapertures g and the pin 9 it may be desirable in some instances to use asliding bolt on one of the arms g of the castings G which engages aserrated edge of the plate 6 of the heads, or a spring-catch may be usedinstead of the sliding bolt to engage serrations or projections on theplates 6. It is evident that a lateral adjustment of each diskseparately may be accomplished by moving the arm g until the disk hasthe desired position and then fastening the arm in some suitable mannerto the strap or bar g Other means may be employed than the stirrups forshifting the heads E on their pivots, and other means of pivoting theheads may be used if so desired. I therefore do not wish to confinemyself to the exact construction shown, as other changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a wheel-cultivator, the combination with a suitable frame, of thedraft-beams arranged on opposite sides thereof and secured to said frameso as to adapt said beams to be shifted laterally thereon, a headcarrying one or more cultivating devices pivotally secured to the rearportion of each beam so as to move freely thereon, a second pivot foreach head located in the rear of the first-mentioned pivoting-point,means for connecting the heads so as to cause the same to move inunison, together with means for shifting said heads 011 their pivots,whereby the cultivating devices carried by the heads may besimultaneously placed at different angles with respect to the line ofdraft and to each other so that both heads may be moved either to theright or to the left independent of the frame according to the positionof the cultivating devices, substantially as described.

2. In a wheel-cultivator, the combination with a suitable frame, of thedraft-beams arranged on opposite sides thereof and secured to said frameso as to adapt said beams to be shifted laterally thereon, a headcarrying one or more cultivating devices pivotally secured to the rearportion of each beam so as to move freely thereon, a spindle arranged ineach head at the rear of the pivot securing said head to the beam toserve as a second pivoting-point for said head, a bar connecting thespindles, together with means for simultaneously shifting the heads ontheir pivots, whereby the cultivating devices carried by the heads maybe placed at different angles with respect to the line of draft and toeach other so that said heads may be moved together either to the rightor to the left independent of the frame according to the position of thecultivating devices, substantially as described.

3. In a wheel-cultivator, the combination with a suitable frame, of thedraft-beams arranged on opposite sides thereof, a head carrying one ormore cultivating devices pivot- I ally secured to the rear portion ofeach beam so as to move freely thereon, a second movable pivot for eachhead arranged in the rear of the first-mentioned pivotin gpoint,togetherwith means for shifting the heads on their pivots, whereby thecultivating devices carried by the heads may be placed at differentangles with respect to the line of draft and to each other so that bothheads may be moved either to the right or to the left independent of theframe according to the position of the cultivating devices,substantially as described.

4. In a wheel-cultivator, the combination with a suitable frame, of thedraft-beams ar ranged on opposite sides thereof and secured to saidframe so as to adapt said beams to be shifted laterally thereon; saidbeams having a brace for causing both to move in unison,

a disk-carrying head pivotally secured to the rear portion of each beamso as to move freely thereon, a spindle arranged in each head forming asecond pivoting-point to the rear of the first-mentioned pivoting-point,abar connectin g the spindles together, and means for shifting the headson their pivots, whereby the angles of the cultivating-disks carried bythe heads may be simultaneously placed at different angles with respectto the line of draft and to each other so as to cause the heads to moveeither to the right or to the left independent of the frame, accordingto the position of said disks, substantially as described.

5. In a cultivator, the combination with a a gang-head comprising twoplates secured together, of a series of sleeves arranged between andjournaled in said plates, cultivating devices carried by the sleeves andindependently vertically adjustable therein arms extending outwardlyfrom the sleeves, a strap connecting the arms pivotally together foradjusting the same in unison, and means for retaining the arms in anadjusted position so that the angles of the cultivating devices may besimultaneously changed, substantially as described.

6. In a cultivator, the combination with the draft-beams and a bracesecuring said beams together, of the disk-carrying heads pivotallysecured to said beams, spindles carried by the heads to serve as pivotstherefor, an arched bar connecting the spindles, and arms carryingstirrups secured to the draft-beams, whereby the angles of thedisk-carrying heads may be simultaneously shifted to vary the angles ofthe cultivating devices carried thereby, substantially as described.

7. In a cultivator, the combination with a gangehead, of a series ofsleeves carried by said head, stems carrying cultivating devicesarranged in the sleeves to be vertically adj ustable therein and meansfor independently securing each stem in an adjusted position, wherebythe said stems may be adjusted independent of each other, substantiallyas described.

S. In a cultivator, the combination with a gang-head having a series ofapertures arranged in said head, of a series of sleeves j ournaled inthe head and carrying on lti vatin g devices, arms extending from thesleeves, a strap connecting the arms pivotally together, and a pinadapted to engage one of the apertures in the head and an aperture inone of the arms, whereby the angle of the cultivating devices may bechanged and retained at the desired angle, substantially as described.

9. In a cultivator, the combination with a gang-head, of a sleeve journaled in said head, a stem carrying a cultivating device verticallyadjustable in the sleeve, means for retaining the stem in an ad jnstedposition, together with means for retaining the sleeve at differentangles, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a gang-head or disk-supporting frame, of aseries of revolving disks carried by said frame each provided with avertically-adj ustable spindle and means for securin g the same atdifferent elevations with respect to the supporting-frame, to adapt oneor more disks in the series to be set so as to cut at a greater or lessdepth than the others, and devices for simultaneously varying the anglesof the series of disks to the line of draft and maintaining each disk inthe series at the same angle as its fellows, substantially as described.

11. A lifting attachment comprising a suitable lever and a cross-barloosely connected thereto, vertically disposed rods slidingly held insaid cross-bar, one on each side of the point of attachment to saidlever, and a spring interposed between the ends of each of said rods andsaid cross bar, substantially as described.

12. A lifting attachment comprising a shaft having a crank at one end,and an operatinglever at the other, a cross-bar connected centrally tosaid crank, blocks pivoted in the ends of the cross-bar,vertically-disposed rods slidingly held in said blocks, and springsinterposed between the ends of said rods and the blocks, substantiallyas described.

13. A lifting attachment comprising a shaftprovided with a suitablecrank, a lever for retating said shaft, a cross-bar connected at itscentral portion to said crank, and verticallydisposed rods arranged inthe ends of said cross-bar, substantially as described.

1%. In a cultivator, the combination with the gang-heads, of a shafthaving a crank at one end and a lever for rotating said shaft at theother, a cross-bar connected at its central portion to said crank,blocks pivoted in the ends of the cross-bar, vertically-disposed rodsslidingly held in said blocks, collars arranged on said rods, togetherwith springs interposed between said blocks and collars for yicldingl yforcing the gang-heads downward so as to yieldingly hold the cultivatingdevices carried by said heads to their work, substantially as described.

15. A lifting device comprising a shaft provided with a suitable crank,a cross-bar connected at its central portion to said crank,vertically-disposed rods arranged in said crossbar, a lever for rotatingsaid shaft, and a spring adapted to be compressed when the lever ismoved in one direction and to assist said lever to raise the rods whenmoved in the other direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

STALEY D. POOLE. \Vitnesses:

FRED II. Coornn, JOHN GALT.

